The New York Times published an extensive report this Tuesday about Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, nicknamed "El Cangrejo," in which it links Raúl Castro's grandson to a transnational criminal network investigated by the FBI that operated for years between Cuba, Mexico, and Florida.
The article, titled "From Bodyguard to Key Figure of Power: The Rise of Raúl Rodríguez Castro", details how two men convicted for their involvement in the so-called "Cuban Mafia in Quintana Roo" identified Rodríguez Castro as a collaborator of the organization, which is dedicated to the trafficking of Cuban migrants and smuggling using stolen boats from Florida.
“El Cangrejo”, colonel of the Ministry of the Interior (MININT), has not been formally charged with any crime in the United States, and the newspaper notes that it is also unclear whether he is currently under federal investigation, which remains open.
A boat, a Rolex, and other alleged gifts
One of the cited testimonies is from José Miguel González Vidal, sentenced to 25 years in prison, who told U.S. authorities that Rodríguez Castro had received bribes for collaborating with the organization.
González Vidal also stated that members of the network bribed Raúl Castro's grandson to keep the Coast Guard and Cuban Customs at bay. Presumably, "El Cangrejo"'s role was to ensure the safe passage of the group of individuals to and from Cuba.
In exchange for facilitating the entry into Cuba of goods purchased in Mexico with stolen credit cards, Rodríguez Castro reportedly received, according to that testimony, a high-performance Fountain 38 boat, a Rolex watch, a Suzuki motorcycle, and Louis Vuitton clothing.
The goods brought into the island were subsequently sold in stores run by the Cuban government, González Vidal stated.
The New York Times reports that these statements would not be the only element in the hands of investigators: González Vidal's testimony would be supported by text and voice messages that the FBI extracted from cell phones belonging to members of the organization, according to sources familiar with the case.
Another convict, Reynaldo Crespo Márquez, who is serving a 20-year sentence, was also interrogated during a trial in Miami regarding a meeting in which, according to his previous statements to prosecutors, González Vidal and Rodríguez Castro discussed the sending of a vessel to Cuba.
A network dedicated to the trafficking of Cubans
The "Cuban Mafia in Quintana Roo" used stolen vessels from South Florida to secretly transport Cubans to Mexico, from where they attempted to continue to the United States.
Migrants were held in safe houses while payment for their transfer was demanded, and according to court testimonies, some were even tortured when they couldn't pay. The U.S. investigation concluded with the conviction of at least 21 people.
The Cuban government rejected the accusations. The Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío described them as "slander" to the New York Times and asserted that "there is no connection with the Cuban government."
The revelations gain particular significance due to the increasing influence of Rodríguez Castro within the Cuban power structure.
After years as a bodyguard and assistant to his grandfather, “El Cangrejo” has become an important figure in the contacts between Havana and Washington. Several sources indicate that this year he met separately with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and with the CIA Director, John Ratcliffe.
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